How to live as a Christian in a world that makes you want to cuss.

Well, I'm on the struggle bus with this, but in all God fashion, He showed up during my shower time this morning and reminded me that I'm a sinner, just like everyone else. But here's the difference between knowing what you should do and knowing what you WANT to do.... they're rarely the same. I want to lose weight and button up my fork, but I KNOW that if ice cream is within reach, I'ma struggle for realz, and I'ma have my lemon bar cone.

The same is true when you're dealing with idiots, people driving on the road like it's Sunday on a Monday when you're late, non-believers, people who believe or vote differently than you. It's sooooo easy to looooooose your cool and have a negative thought or spout off. My filter game is NOT strong and I speak VOLUMES with my face; if you know me, you KNOW how true this actually is. I've had to really pray through some things and so I thought I'd share where I'm at.

I know everyone has an opinion about pretty much every topic that's out there, I'd like to challenge you to see how your beliefs and opinions line up with scripture. Scripture is God's spoken Word, a true GUIDELINE for living life, not a suggestion or some fiction book that can be translated as it fits our agenda. I like to eat, sometimes I over do it. I like to have a cocktail or two, on a rare occasion I over do it.... not intentionally, but it happens. I don't have my binge-drinking tolerance like I used to. PRAISE BE TO GOD! So, back to the question at hand. How do we, as Christians, live in this world and be as Christ-like as He want us to be.

Here's the answer, are you ready for it?

Love. That's it. You're annoyed aren't you? It's ok, you're going to be even more annoyed as you read. Love, Love, Love your neighbor, even if it's an asshole, love him anyway. Because let's face it, sometimes you're an asshole and we all need grace. I know I put on my a-hole pants at LEAST once (ok maybe 3 times) a week. Darrel gives me grace too. His patience for me is beyond inspiring.

So, it's 'pride month' or so everyone keeps saying. Pride in what? Living how scripture tells us not to.... I get it, but remember I mentioned my tendency to overdo it on the food and drink... don't argue with me here, if ya wanna yell at me, just log off right now. Because it clearly states in scripture that orgy's, drunkenness, homosexuality, adultery, murder, stealing, dishonoring parents, among a LIST of other things is sin. However, only one of those things gets a month-long celebration and shoved down our throats at every turn. What if we had a murder pride month or a adulterers pride month.... can you imagine? Shit would get real weird, real fast. So, as believers, what do we do?

Here's what scripture tells us, that we have ALL sinned and fallen short of God's glory and while we may have our opinion of pride month, God loves each of us the same, we are all created the same, equal and LOVED in His eyes. So, love your gay brother and sister my friends, just love them. We don't have to agree and if your brother or sister in Christ is living this way it is our duty, IN LOVE, to share with them God's truth. But if you're trying to tell a non-believer how to live, you're doing it wrong. Just love them, love them in their mess as God loves you in yours.

I know many gay Christians, people who love God and are serious about their salvation. It is NEVER my place to judge their journey or their life. In fact, my judgement of their lifestyle is no different than their sin. Love them. Love them as Christ loves you. It's really THAT simple.

If someone's trying to steal your peace on any kind of issue, whether politics or work or money or sports teams or gay vs. straight, you're the only person that can give them that power, so don't hand it over. How about we love everyone equally. The gays have that right, love IS love, but only when you do it as CHRIST intended, not as the 'anything goes' let's all do as we please lifestyle that we so often see, not pertaining to gay people necessarily just the world in general.

It is heartbreaking the way we all fight, guns or no guns, left or right, cubs vs sox (go cubs go) pro-choice vs. pro-life. People are just people, trying to live their best life and hopefully loving others as they go. Scripture is CLEAR on the subject of homosexuality, of abortion, of drunkenness, of tithing, prayer, fasting, murder, adultery, grace, love, self-control, forgiveness and patience. Let he, who is blameless cast the first stone. Practice the fruits of the Spirit, we have them when we ask God into our hearts, it is our job to love and serve others, so stop the hate, cuss a little if you need to, repent if you need to, fast if you need to, pray if you need to, but let's just stop all the judgement already. Ya ain't never gonna change nobody by being judgey judy.... we already have one of those and while she's amazing and truth speaking, one is enough. 'Let all you do, be done in love.'